Grapple



NOV. 21, 1944. rrc 2,363,076

GRAPPLE Filed NOV. 12, 1943 I FIG. FIG. 2.

FIG. 5.

25 INI/ENTOR 8y DHM/TCHELL L l fifl miw ATTORNEY [This invention relatesto grapples,

, Patented Nov. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PA Donald H. Mitchell, Cranford,N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 12, 1943,Serial No. 509,973

and more particularly to grapples for transporting smoothsurfacedarticles.

An object of the invention is to provide a grapple which is simple inconstruction, readily ac tuable, and

ticles. With this and other objects in view, the invenhighly efiicientfor transporting an tion comprises a grapple havinglevers pivotallyconnected intermediate their ends, with article gripping elementssupported adjacent the lower en'ds'thereof, the upper ends of the leversbeing connected; through links, to a lifting means for Referring now tothe drawing, the grapple ineludes levers l and II which are "pivotallyconnected intermediate their ends at I2. Each of the levers l0 and H iscomposed of two parts, or, if desired, these may be defined as pairs ofcompanion levers, but to simplify the description they are given likereference numerals. The pivot It includes a suitable rod with a centralspacing sleeve I4 and collars l5 disposed upon the outer ends of therod. Article gripping elements It and I1 are pivotally connected at Itand I9 to their respective levers l0 and l I. The elements l6 and I!have pockets 2!! in which are disposed gripping blocks 2|, the latterbeing formed of a suitable material to grip and frictionally hold anarticle, such as that indicated at 22. The lower ends of the grippingblocks 2| are tapered, as at 23, to facilitate in themovement of thegripping elements into engagement with the article. It

will be noted, by viewing Figs. 2 and 5, that pairs of flanges for theelement 16 and pairs of flanges 26 for the element H are mounted toreceive their respective lever portions l0 and l I.

Retaining loops Z8 and 29 are fixed to their elements l6 and I1 andextend around the adjacent handles for use in guiding the grapplerelative to an article to, be transported, or for use in re- 2 Claims.(01. 294-117),

U-shaped' linksj32 and 33. The formation of the links is furtherillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures tubular spacers 35-and 36are illustrated as being mounted upon the pivots 30 and 3|. The outerends of thelinks 32 and 33, indicated by reference numerals 31 and 38,serve as moving the grapple from the article.

The inner ends of the links 32 and 33 are com nected to a pivot 40, thelatter being carried by a supporting element 4| providedwith an aperture42 to receive a hook 43 or other suitable connecting means of a hoist orthe like for use in transporting the grapple and article. A U-shapedlocating element 45, having the upper ends of its legs carried by thepivot 40, has mounted on its central portiona pad 46 which extendsbetween the lower portions of the levers I0 and l l. Elongate apertures41 in the legs of the element 45 receivethe pivot l2 and thus hold theelement against lateral displacement but for vertical movement throughthe aid of the collars l5.

When it is desirable to-transport the article 22 or other similararticles, the grapple is moved to a position above the article, and thenlowered so. that the gripping elements l6 and I! will be disposed atopposite sides of the article. While being lowered the gripping elementswillbe in their open positions governed by the retaining loops 28 and 29with their contacting surfaces lying at transverse angles to readilystraddle the article. The pad 46 on the element serves in locating thegrapple or rather the gripping elements l6 and I! thereof relative tothe article.

After the gripping elements engage the upper edges of the article, theywill find their positions parallel with the surfaces they engage bymovement about their pivots. ments may rest upon the upper edges of thearticle until the hoist hook is loweredsufliciently to relieve the forceon the levers to allow the links portion of their levers l0 and ll,tomaintain the elements in article receiving positions. a

..The outer ends of the levers H1 and II are respectively pivotallyconnected at 30 and 3| to 32 and 33 to open the levers and elements.

When the elements I6 and l! have been located relative to the article, alifting force may be applied through the aid of the hook 43 to the links32 and 33, moving upwardly also the ele ment 45. The elongate apertures41 in the element-45 are of sufiicient length so that at no time duringthe lifting of the article, will any of the weight thereof be carried bythe locating element. Thus, in applying a lifting force to the links 32and 33, the levers l0 and l l are moved about their pivot I 2, forcingthe gripping elements l6 and I1 inwardly to cause the blocks TENT OFFICEFurthermore, the eler 2| to firmly grip the article. The greater theweight of the article, the greater will be the gripping force appliedthereto through the elements l6 and IT. The grapple may thus betransported with the article to a given position, after which it may belowered to move the article upon a support, where further downward move:

ment of the support 41 will release the gripping force applied to thearticle through the elements It and I1. Through the aid of the handleportions 3'! and 38, the grapple may be removed from the article, afterwhich the handle portions may be released. Here the locating element 45.serves another purpose, that of supporting the levers l0 and H throughits connection with the supporting element 4| during the normaltransportation of the grapple when not supporting an article. r e v oAlthough specific improvements of the invention have been shown anddescribed, itwill be understood that they are but illustrative and ithat various modifications may be made therein without departing fromthescope and spirit of this invention as'defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: r

1. A grapple comprising -article gripping elements each having spacedpairs of flanges disposed on the outer surfaces thereof and, articleengaging portions on the inner surfaces thereof,

pairs of spaced transversely extending levers pivotally connected toeach other intermediate their ends, means tovpivotally connect the lowerends of the pairs of levers,positioned singly between their respectivepairs of flanges, to the flanges, U-shaped links pivotally connectedto35 each other at their inner ends and to their respective pairs oflevers intermediate the ends of the links withthe lateral connectingportions forming handles for the actuation of the link to move thelevers and gripping elements into open positions, and lifting meansconnected to the central pivot of the links to movethe links, levers andelements to move the latter into gripping engagement with anarticle.

2. A grapple comprisingarticle gripping elements each having spacedpairs of flanges disrrirprosed on th outer surfaces thereof and articleengaging portions on the inner surfaces thereof,

pairs of spaced transversely extending levers pivotally connected toeach other intermediate their ends, means to pivotally connect the lowerends of the pairs of levers, positioned singly between their-respectivepairs of flanges, to the flanges,

U-shaped links pivot ally connected to each other at their inner endsand to their respective pairs ,of levers intermediate theends of thelinkswith the lateral connecting portions forming. handles menttherewith to normally hold the elements in diagonal positions relativeto each other-and their levers to receive the article therebetween.-

DONALD H. MI'roHEnL.

